The Office of Justice Programs’ (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Visiting Fellows Program invests in future and current leaders in the criminal justice field to advance priority national policy issues. The purpose of each fellowship is to make important policy and programmatic contributions in a criminal justice focus area. BJA has identified six focus areas for the program, including Improving Corrections and Reintegration under the Second Chance Act. All fellows collaborate with BJA and OJP staff to provide critical outreach, data, research, and subject matter expertise to inform the development of new BJA strategies, policies, and programs to benefit the field.

This brief highlights three Second Chance Fellows and their substantial expertise as a policy advocate, legal or social services provider, or academic focusing on reentry as well as having lived experience, being formerly incarcerated, to bring a valuable perspective of the justice system and community reintegration to this role.